FROM

"President Obama promised that his administration's decisions would be
based on science. Department of Interior and Fish and Wildlife Service
administrators have obviously not gotten the message."

Newly obtained documents reveal that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bald
eagle experts have again been overruled by their political superiors in
order to remove Endangered Species Act protection for Arizona's desert
nesting bald eagles. An August 24, 2009, memo from Regional Fish and
Wildlife Director Benjamin Tuggle to Assistant Fish and Wildlife Director
Gary Frazer states that the Arizona population "is discrete and significant"
to the bald eagle population as a whole "based on its persistence in an
unusual or unique [desert] ecological setting." Tuggle's memo summarizes
more than 30 years of biological studies and the consensus of every
recognized bald eagle expert.

In a response dated December 4, 2009, Frazer dismisses the experts' opinion,
advising that his "…staff will work with you on development of the revised
version of the finding. Obviously, the finding should not simply cite my
conclusion…"

This scenario is a repeat of the agency's attempts in 2006 and 2007 to
remove protection from Arizona's reproductively, geographically,
biologically, and behaviorally isolated population of approximately 160
individuals and 60 breeding pairs. In these past attempts, the agency tried
to suppress the consensus science presented in an October 6, 2004 petition
from the Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon requesting
increased protection for the desert bald eagle distinct population segment
(DPS).

On March 5, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge Mary Murguia rejected the last
agency ruse on the grounds that agency scientists "…received ‘marching
orders’ and were directed to find an analysis that fit with a negative
90-day finding on the DPS status of the desert bald eagle."

"Indeed, the record indicates that each time FWS biologists from the FWS’s
Arizona Field Office assessed whether listing the desert bald eagle
population as a DPS may be warranted, they found that 'no information in
[the FWS’s] files refutes' Plaintiffs’ petition…" Judge Murguia added.

"President Obama promised that his administration's decisions would be based
on science. Department of Interior and Fish and Wildlife Service
administrators have obviously not gotten the message," said Herb Fibel,
Maricopa Audubon president.

"For more than three decades, our desert nesting bald eagle has been
recognized as unique and significant by every acknowledged eagle expert. The
science has not changed, but just as if Bush were still in office, political
hacks in DC are trying once again to throw our eagles into the garbage for
the benefit of their developer patrons. We will not allow this to happen
without an historic fight. We look forward to confronting these bullies in
the courtroom and beyond," said Dr. Robin Silver of the Center.

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